Some 180 French companies, chambers of commerce and French regions are taking part in the four-day `France-India 2000,' the biggest such event France has staged in India.

Besson, who is the minister for public works, housing and transport, said at the opening ceremony that France had a ``deep desire'' to develop durable relations with India in political, economic, scientific and cultural fields. He said the industrial exposition was symbolic of growing bilateral contacts.Heavy industries and public enterprises minister Manohar Joshi said that the event would give a ``great boost, an impetus to the trade technology and investment between the two countries.''

Impressive displays of the Geodesic Dome of the science city in Paris and a replica of the Ariane space shuttle, which has put many Indian communications satellites in orbit, feature at the exhibition. Companies engaged in the design and manufacture of water treatment plants, environment technology, data processing, natural gas and associated services and electrical and electronic industries have displayed their products.

Joshi recalled French president Jacques Chirac's statement during his visit here in January 1998 that he looked forward to developing an ``ambitious, bold and confident'' partnership with India and said the Indian industry was waiting for the partnership to take off. He urged French investors to take advantage of India's economic liberalisation and referred to the opening of the insurance industry.

Although bilateral economic links with France in terms of trade and investment have been growing in recent years, there is potential for enhancing these ties, Joshi said. ``Consolidation of our relationship is important for us,'' he said and added India could benefit from French expertise in agricultural research, food processing and biotechnology. ``We also acknowledge that France is world leader in defence and space technology and infrastructure management, water resource management and we will look for beneficial cooperation in all these sectors,'' he added.

Besson noted India's unique position as the world's largest democracy and its sustained economic growth in recent years.

France, on the other hand, was the world's fourth biggest economic power, fourth biggest exporter and third biggest investor, he said. But he noted that the full potential of Indo-French economic ties were yet to be realised. France was only the 18th largest supplier to India and its 10th largest foreign investor. Besson was asked at a news conference later about the arrest of an Indian businessman, Chand Mehta, chief exports manager of the Japipur-based Auto Lite India Ltd, during the recent Equip Auto '99 exhibition in Paris following a complaint by French car company Peugeot and his sentencing by a Paris court.

French Ambassador to India Claude Blanchemaison regretted the incident but said, ``there is no way the governments of France or India can interfere in the courts.'' He added Mehta could appeal against the prison sentence. He was confident that an ``individual's problem'' would not cast a shadow on bilateral ties. He also denied any link between the case and non-participation of French automobile and spare parts manufacturers in the exhibition.